76 PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS CHAPTER IX THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION Summary: The complaints procedures developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the protection of human rights may be used directly only by a Government, workers’ or employers’ association, or by a delegate to the International Labour Conference. However, many of the ILO non-discrimination norms and its promotional, oversight and technical assistance activities may be of interest to minorities. This chapter outlines some of the relevant ILO standards and initiatives. The International Labour Organization (ILO) was established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles. It was the only element of the League of Nations to survive the Second World War and in 1945 it became the first specialized agency of the United Nations system. The tripartite structure of ILO (consisting of representatives of Governments, employers and workers) is unique among intergovernmental organizations; ILO is the only organization in which Governments do not control all the votes. ILO is composed of three organs: the General Conference of representatives of member States (the International Labour Conference), the Governing Body and the International Labour Office. The General Conference and the Governing Body are both composed of 50 per cent Government representatives and 50 per cent representatives of employers and workers in member States. The presence and voting power of these non-governmental elements give ILO a unique perspective on the issues before it and expand the possibilities for dealing with practical problems facing ILO members. One of the principal activities of ILO is adopting and implementing international labour standards. ILO adopts conventions and recommendations at the annual International Labour Conference, requires Governments to examine whether conventions should be ratified, and closely supervises and comments on how member States apply the conventions they choose to ratify. There are now approximately 7,714 ratifications of the nearly 200 conventions adopted under the auspices of ILO. ILO standards While ILO has specific standards for indigenous peoples and migrants, there are no specific standards for ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities. Nevertheless, several of the main ILO standards are highly relevant to the protection of minorities, since they must be applied in a context of non-discrimination and equal protection for all. Non-discrimination ILO action for the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation is based on the ILO Constitution, which commits ILO to fighting against discrimination based on race, creed or sex. Its principal convention in this area is the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), which is supplemented by a number of other ILO standards and which prohibits discrimination in employment and occupation on the grounds of race, colour, religion and national extraction, among others. Convention No. 111 (ratified by 169 countries) is one of the eight fundamental conventions of ILO, and, as such, it is among the targets of a ratification campaign instituted by the Director‑General in 1995.